Meredith Willson was born in this house at 314 South Pennsylvania in Mason City, Iowa, on May 18, 1902. His mother, Rosalie, was a piano teacher, and it was a family tradition to gather around the piano every evening to sing favorite songs.

Inspired by this upbringing, young Meredith departed in 1917 to begin a distinguished career as a musician and composer. But he never forgot his Iowa roots, which he immortalized in his classic, The Music Man.

The Meredith Willson Boyhood Home is open for tours at 1 p.m. with the last daily tour at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday thru Sunday except New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Please note: only the first floor of the home is accessible by wheelchairs.)